Darkest Hour
by jainanicole
Summary: The Jedi say goodbye Anakin. A tribute. (Sorry, I just finished reading "Star by Star" and I felt that they didn't go into the reaction to his death as well as they could have) Please R/R


DARKEST HOUR  
  
  
  
Jaina glared sullenly at the opposite wall, tears falling at random intervals from her blank eyes. She was silent, not having said a word since her involuntary "Anakin, I can't!" The others had tried to get her to talk, tried to get her to say something, anything, but she wasn't having it. Jacen could feel the anger in her, the resentment, and knew that it could be dangerous if she didn't let it out. She wouldn't listen, though –not even to him.  
  
He crossed the cell, and stooped down next to her. "Jaina…" She drew her knees up to her chest and turned her head stubbornly to the side, avoiding his gaze. Jacen could feel his temper begin to build. He used the Force to extinguish his anger, to smother the exasperation until it cooled to sympathy. This was no time to lose his temper. "Jaina- I…"  
  
She turned her gaze back to him, and he could see fury in her chocolate brown eyes. When she finally spoke, it was carefully and coldly. "You left him." Her voice was calculated, each word carefully chosen for the desired effect, carefully punctuated to rip into him like knives. "You /left/ him." Jacen felt her searching for someone to blame, as if she couldn't bear to think that it was her fault.  
  
As if she could bring Anakin back if she fought it hard enough.  
  
He shook his head, not wanting to fight with her. She sighed and he could see the anger in her begin to unravel. It wasn't that she wanted to fight, merely that she wanted to deny what had happened.  
  
She leaned against him. "Jace…"  
  
Jacen slung an arm across his sister's shoulder, pulling her closer. He wanted to comfort her, but could think of nothing to say, nothing that would make it any better.  
  
He opted for memories.  
  
"Remember the time he tried to take Threepio apart? Or how we were always so amazed that he could put him back together?"  
  
His words rung out in the silent room, sounding loud and uncalled for. Immediately, he regretted them. This was no time for reminiscing, it could only make things worse.  
  
He was surprised to hear her speak, picking up where he had left off.  
  
"-Or the way he always used to tag along with us."  
  
Jacen smiled half-heartedly at her, glad that he had gotten her to talk. "Yeah," he agreed. "He always wanted to be better than us…he hated mom telling him that he couldn't do something because of his age."  
  
Jaina stared at the wall again, not quite focusing. For a moment, Jacen allowed himself to, as well.  
  
There was a comfortable silence between the two as they both sat there, remembering their brother. Then, Jaina turned her head and buried it in her brother's shoulder. "Oh, Jace, I'm gonna miss him so much." He kissed her head gently, but there was nothing that he could think of to say. "Me, too." He said, rubbing her shoulder. "Me, too."  
  
Around them, the other Jedi remained respectfully silent, not wanting to interrupt this moment of tribute. Tenel Ka was the first to cross the room. She gently kneeled next to her friends and silently rested her head on Jaina's other shoulder. The others soon followed suit, until all the Jedi were seated on the floor in a circle, hands entwined for comfort's sake.  
  
Taking advantage of the shared emptiness, Jacen reached out with his mind and wove the group's sadness together, a process reminiscent of the battle meld that he had formed earlier. The merge made it easier for each to bear, allowed the sadness of Anakin's death and the happiness of his memory to be shared by all. Jaina reached out as well, and allowed a single thought to come to rest on top of the bond.  
  
*Goodbye, Anakin. We'll miss you.*  
  
The others nodded, sending out similar emotions. Their words helped to calm each other, but, deep down inside, they all knew that the act was final, a sad farewell for one taken too soon.  
  
Anakin was gone. 


End file.
